BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 13

BENEVOLENT TRUSTEES

The u=ual meeting of the Benevolent Trustees was held on Wednesday afternoon, when there were present Messrs R. M. Clark (in the. chair), R. Wilson, AY. Burnett, A. Tapper, J. Green, and Hon. H. Gourley.

Accounts amounting to £99 10s 7d were parsed fcr payment, and 17 oases of relief were dealt with. The Secretary reported two deaths in. the. institution "during the week— naimely. Roh&rt R. M'Dona!d (aged 76 years) and Hannah Rappiport (aged 5* years). Mr A. Tapper asked the chairman whether he piopo:cd to take any notice of the remarks made concerning the trustees at last week's meriting of the Charitable Aid Board.

The Chairman said that he was just about to call attention to the matter. According to the published report of that meeting, three members of the Onari table Aid Board took part in the criticism on the trustees' action. One member said "He thought the Benevolent Trustees did not make sufficient nivestß'gation before granting relief " No one had any right to make such a statement iinls'Sß he had facts to go on, and if he had such facts it was his duty to place them at the disposal of the trustees, when they would be carefully considered. The Mayer of Roslyn had instanced three eases in which too much relief had heoai given. In one of these cases a liberal aJlowanoe> had certainly been made, but it wa> considered a special case. In the other "two cases, the Rosjyn Council recommended the trustees to give relief, and in one od the?e the ]>erson recommended did not want relief at all, whilst the other d.d not need so much as was proffered. The trustees were always glad to get information whdoh would help them. It was only in the naiture of things that they should sometimes* be imposed upon^ and they relied on the public to help them. Relief was give/n without regard to olass, creed, or colour, and the trustees endeavoured to economise the public funds as far as possible. The Hon. H. GourLey sa>id that local bodies were supposed to inquire into cases, but in his experience they took very little trouble, so their criticism was not of much value.

Mr Green «iid that frequently when oa^es had been referred to local bodies, the information sought for had been Tefused.

Mr Burnett sa.id that he did not think th© expenditure was increasing, but the secretary said they were giving more individually. The Chairman said that Mr Hazlett's suggei it ion was a,n admirable one, and had aneweired in Inveroargill. If the Government would give them a piece of ground, on which applicants for assistance could be made to work, it could be mad© profitable.

Mr Burnett said that it would 6olve the whole difficulty.

Mr Tapper asked whether rhe Government had b&en applied to for a piece of landThe Chairmaai replied in the negative. Mr Tamper *aid that be would move that the request be> made.

Mr Burnett said b.9 would sunport such a motion with all his power. Persons requiring reldfif could b? put to work, to their own advantage and the publio benefit, at fruit culture or p'.g-kc'piiig or fa.rm work gcriiCTally, Fay up in C^nxral Otago, where there was a beautiful climate.

Eventually Mr Tapper's motion was carried in this form: — "That in the opinion of the trustees it is desirable that an area of la.nd be obtained for the purpose of establishing n. farm for the employment of pp.rrons receiving relief, and that a comLjnitbep consisting of the chairman, treasurer, arid Mr Tapper he empowered to make application to t'-e Government for a suitable piece of land."

I About 60 men who had li.id tluir cloth 113 1 de«njroyed 111 conneotion « th tin* ('ii.ntl.uApplied to Dr Fiiuh on Monda\. at Lyttol t-cm fot clothing, and recened ordi.ro en the local clothiers.

An old man, Edward Fowler, was a few i! ij - a-^o liiou^iit to the Crcswick Hospital, Me lourno, from weakness, owing to s-t.ir\at'Oi« It v.j.- di-<ov<Mvd ti'at he held 1:1 I).= ijo-s'.i .on uo l'.-j than £100.

While two men were examining a gun near Dandcnong, Melbourne, the other day the weapon exploded, killing a. young man, Frederick Exner. The charge entered Ins leg and fcineied a large axteiy.